The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-24
THE BAD MORPHINE HABIT
THAT MADE DR.. FRANCIS n.
DEEMS
Anything but n Companionable Hus-
band, and Wrecked His Wlfe's
Happiness.

at one end OF the table occupied by
counsel engaged in the trial before
Judge Allen holding Equity Term oil
the Court OF Common Pleas, of the
suit for limited divorce brought By
Mrs. Grace Brotherton Deems against
her husband, Dr. Francis M. Desms,
son OF the eminent pastor of the
Church OF the Strangers. Near him
eat the accused son. A little apart sat
the accusing wife. Scattered about
were several ladies' who watched the
proceedings with keen interest.
Most of the day was consumed in
The further cTo5s-examinatiou vi Mrs
Deems and 10 reading letters connected
with the case. Under this fiery ordeal
Mrs. Deems dspOrted herself with
calm dignity, while the letters written
by her evidenced unusually forcihe
facility OF expression. And thus the
leading subject of which they treated
the struggle of a husband to over
come the morphine habit--was eug-
gestivs in their graphic periods of the
fsrvid eloquencs Of De Quincy.
"wH 7 NEVER 2"--"HARDLY KvRR."
Young Mr.. Deems's counsel, Mr..
Philip Carpenter, IN Tesuming his
cross examination of Ms. Dseme,
directed hia main inquiries TO sub
stantiate, ii possible, the counter al
legation Of her husband that she has
been and still il victim Of the NOR
phine habit. He put his questions
very plumply.
O. Have you ever been addicted to
the morphine habit? A. Never.
Q You do not cay you have never
taken morphine? A. | say l never
was in the habit of taking it. / took
it during the progress of two illnesses,
and have not taken il st any other
time.
"THR ACCUsToMED MORNING DOSE"
Mr.. Carpenter then read the follow
ing letter:
New YORK, Dec. q, 1885,
My DEARRsT-Your last letter was
most courageous, and, at the same
time, heart breaking enough to cling
to my memory all day, and, indeed. all
night, too. Even now its sentences,
30 vivid and descriptive of the sgony
you had suffered, are stamped upon
my brain and heart fevers.
Dear love, If l could have only been
beside you to camfort and soothe at
least, even though nothing more.
With each struggle for freedom, with
each pang, each season of torture such
as / fully realize you must undergo, !
pray God il may be the last, and that
the intensity Of your ordeal may soon
-ahl kind heaven, very soon-begin
to better, II ever 30 little, still little.
Since my return had
bought no "fluid," trying to make
what / had hold out as long as posi-
BILE. / must have miscalculated, for
Christmas night at 10 o'clock found
your humble servant with but paltry
and very short minim, and "bubbly"
at that. Imagine my dismay. Tired,
nervous, headachy, late and no
thoughtful Francis TO fix me up any.
thing; no whisky, even.
/ took my scsnt allowance at about
1880 O'clock, went at once to bed
with a prayer for total oblivion until
such an hour alter daylight as l could
safely ss find an excuse for g %9Eo out ito to
accustomed morning dose, and twelve
hours since the last, I WAS weak until
/ trembled. 1t grows
very late, my dearest. The family are
in from church, and / must close
With a heart full of love
and compassion, devotedly, GRACE.
The accustomed morning Dose"
Mrs. Deems said, was simply medical
compound to soothe her unstrung
nerves.
A DOUBLE BARREL SHOT.
Failing to elicit any satisfactory con-
cessions Mr.. Carpenter took up
another branch Of inquiry, which he |
preiaced by reading the following let
ter:
OCEAN GRovE, July 30, 1885.
My DEAR FRANK Do you |
think it would help matters any If he |
were to know the truth in your case |
1t would never do to double barrel it |
by my own. am writing |
for father, you know, as well as for |
yourself. Keep all private matters and |
opinions privately for my ear.
Most lovingly, GRACE.
"Did not the double barrel you
were afraid to fire at the Rev. DR.. |
Deems refer to your morphine habit ?" |
Mrs. Teens was asked.
"Nol ALL" was the quiet response,
"only my unstrung nerves."
LIFE WRECKED AND BEaaARKD.
Reading Mrs. Dsems's letter to her
husband was still in order. The next |
one read was in new epistolary vein,
not a note OF loving tenderness, but en-
indignant demand for an explanation
and retrsction.
NEW YORK, October Is, 1885.
ask for clear statement
here as the result Of a necessity for q
retraction il you meant what you said
namely; "Grace, the whole family,
father, mother, Ned, all believe you
are addicted to the opium habit"
. You permit this charge to
90 out without contradiction. Sup
pose 1t was true-aud you have not
been over scrupulous-1 would have
died had l been in your place to save
the woman protested to love.
All the life, light and Joy have been
taken out OF the life of a woman who
for years has carried heavy burdens
that misfortune holds no ray OF prom
Use to tighten. In the darkness OF
mistrust, the dishonor OF unbelief,
you have before you the spectacle OF
q life wrecked and beggsred; a heart
utterly broken, though the body be
freed from a hundred demons. And
yet you protest you love me. Pray
that your love may never again be
subjected to the test. It cannot stand
it. Ponder well upon what is left of
my life, How could it bring happiness
or comfort to your carry . grief
years Of starvation can hardly displace
"a dishonor darkening every hour.
Though l stand today with q con-
science free from guilt, the stain upon
my truth is indelible. Who will
accept one who seems but to have
used the infrmities Of her husband to
cloak her own vileness?
TESTS FOR MORPHINE.
In answer to further inquiries Mrs.
Deems denied most emphstically that
aba evar took hynOdermic iniactioDa